Saudi Arabia has scrapped its Electricity Ministry in the latest round of major reforms, with the creation of new energy and environment ministries set to play a prominent role in the kingdom’s utilities sector.

Saudi Arabia’s electricity sector will now be overseen by the newly created Energy, Industry & Natural Resources Ministry. MEED reported in May 2015 that Riyadh was planning to create a new ‘super ministry’ to oversee the kingdom’s energy sector.

Riyadh has created a new Environment, Water & Agriculture Ministry to oversee the kingdom’s water sector.

Announcement of the restructuring of Saudi Arabia’s utilities sectors comes only two weeks after the Water & Electricity minister was replaced, reportedly due to problems implementing new water tariffs. 

The restructuring of the kingdom’s utilities sector appears to be taking place across the major entities. MEED recently reported that the National Water Company, the state entity in charge of water transmission and wastewater sectors, had replaced its CEO with the governor of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), the company in charge of the country’s water desalination sector.